Group-Sponsored Query/Synopsis Contest

Details

Are you thinking about querying? Already in the trenches? Then this contest sponsored by The Third Drawer Down is for you. This is your chance to “send out” your query without messing up your chances with your favorite agents!

Agents look for compelling stories that they can sell. In this contest, you’ll submit a query and your synopsis for your novel for review by a special judge.

For this contest, you don’t need to worry if you’ve picked the right agent. (That comes later, outside of the contest!) Instead, the focus is on honing your ability to sell your story through your enticing query blurb.

Once you get your foot in that agent’s door, they’ll want to read your synopsis. This is your whole main story arc including your protagonist and all the beats of your main plot line, including your ending. These are super hard to write as you need to reduce your entire book to one page — but we believe in you!

First, the judge will read your queries and pick the ones that sell their stories the best, regardless of genre. From there, a longlist will move on to the synopsis stage, which will be judged on how well your synopsis provides the complete story arc, your individual voice, and a satisfying resolution.

We’re excited to introduce our judge, Kristen Weber! Kristin is a former editor at two of the top New York book publishers and is now a developmental editor with over twenty years experience, and a wonderful record of editing award-winning books and helping authors to obtain agents with her query and synopsis services.

For this contest, you’ll submit both your query and your synopsis in one post. Normally, Scribophile requires that one post only contain one unit of writing, but this contest is a special exception to that rule.

Your query letter goes first. We’re looking for your blurb, title, genre, and word count, all in 400 words maximum. Comp titles are optional, but would be included in that word count. Do not include an author bio or personalization for some particular agent.

Then put a line like this: ===================

Then comes your synopsis of no more than 1,000 words. Your synopsis should include spoilers.

Good luck!

Prize money for this contest is provided by the Scribophile Writing Contest Prize Fund.

Prizes

Rules

• No one who currently has an agent may enter.

• Entries must include a query of up to 400 words and a synopsis of up to 1,000 words.

• Entries must pertain to novels. No queries for poetry, flash fiction, or short stories.

• Your story should not be overly violent or sexually explicit.

• Work submitted must not have previously won or placed in any other contest.

• Work cannot be submitted to any other current Scrib contest.

• Only one entry per member.

• Entries must have public visibility on Scribophile until winners are announced.

• You may post your work, receive critiques, and edit your work until the deadline.

Submission guidelines

• Entry is free, but you'll need 5 karma points to post your work to the contest. You can earn karma points by writing critiques for the work of other members.

• To post your work to this contest, check the box that says "Enter this work into the Group-Sponsored Query/Synopsis Contest." Your work will automatically be considered. The check box will be visible until the contest deadline, which is in UTC time.